LNG: Europe Watching Russia Developments
Natural gas was slightly lower on Tuesday with European prices down 0.6% to EUR 31.88 after reaching EUR 32.74. The market is watching the US for its response to Russia’s escalation of attacks on Ukrainian cities despite talks to come to a peace deal.
- US Treasury Secretary Bessent said that “all options are on the table”. He also cautioned China that 100% tariffs could be reimposed if it continues to buy Russian energy. Ukraine also continues to target Russian energy infrastructure. Any reduction in Russian exports would increase competition for other global supplies.
- China has increased consumption of Russian piped gas and now Gazprom announced it will build another pipeline to increase supplies. There is currently a 3000km pipeline to China, the Power of Siberia.
- Also, Bloomberg reported that it appears that Russia has made its first delivery from the restricted Arctic LNG 2 export plant after a vessel departed a Chinese port.
- US gas fell 0.2% to $2.99 after rising to $3.015 following a trough of $2.869. Prices are off their August 25 low due to EIA inventory reports showing below average storage injections.
- US demand is likely to be soft with cooling days trending lower and power usage now in the shoulder season between summer and the upcoming winter. Temperatures are forecast to be lower across the northern and eastern US in the second week of September, according to Atmospheric G2.
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FED: Trump To Announce Candidate To Replace Kugler In Next Few Days
US President Trump has stated that he will announce a candidate to replace Fed Governor Kugler in the next few days. Rtrs notes: "U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he will announce a candidate to fill an open position at the Federal Reserve in the next couple of days. The Fed said on Friday that Governor Adriana Kugler was resigning early from her term, leaving an opening for Trump, a sharp critic of the U.S. central bank's leadership, to fill."
US TSYS: Cash Open
TYU5 is trading 112-10+, up 0-04 from its close.
- The US 2-year yield opens around 3.66%, down 0.02 from its close.
- The US 10-year yield opens around 4.206%, down 0.1 from its close.
- Daily Chartbook on X: "If not for collapsing labor force participation since April, unemployment would've climbed to 4.9% [yesterday] instead of 4.25%." @Econ_Parker. See Graph Below.
- Brian Sullivan on X: “Goldman Sachs notes that the recent 2 month job revisions were the largest outside recessionary times since … 1968. Goldman expects more large revisions next month.”
- MNI BRIEF: Fed Hammack: Jobs Bear Watching, Inflation To Rise. "Disappointing signs" in the July jobs report bear careful watching, but the U.S. labor market remains largely in balance, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack said Friday after Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed a sharp slowdown in hiring over the past few months. "It looks like a healthy labor market that's still well in balance, but with some disappointing signs that we should watch very carefully," she told Bloomberg Television.
- The 10-year yield had a powerful move lower in reaction to the NFP data, breaking below its 4.30% pivot within the wider range 4.10% - 4.65%. This now turns momentum lower in yields and you could expect buyers of treasuries on bounces back towards 4.30/35% now looking to initially test the 4.10% area. The move was even more aggressive in the 2-year which has rejected the move back towards 4% and now looks to target the pivotal 3.50% area.
- Data/Events: Factory Orders, Durable Goods
Fig 1: US Unemployment
Source: MNI - Market News/@dailychartbook/Arch Capital
AUSTRALIA: June Consumption Growth Forecast To Rise
In a week of second tier data, the focus is likely to be on Tuesday’s June household spending data which will now replace retail sales, which had its last print last week. The Q2 chain volume measure is also out. Bloomberg consensus expects June consumption values to rise 0.8% m/m to be up 4.9% y/y after 4.2% in May. The ABS noted that discounting in the month had boosted June retail sales.
- Today, the July Melbourne Institute inflation gauge is released. It printed at 2.4% y/y in June above headline CPI at 1.9%.
- Tuesday sees the final services and composite S&P Global PMIs for July. The preliminary print saw a 2 point rise in the composite to 53.6 suggesting a pickup in growth at the start of Q3.
- June trade data are released on Thursday. The trade surplus is forecast to widen to $3.25bn from $2.24bn.
- In terms of the RBA, Head of Payments Policy Connolly participates in a panel at the ACCC/AER regulatory conference at 1045 AEST on Thursday.
